Chapter 105 -
Yueqing’s face was so hot she felt like her skin was about to melt right off. But instead of pulling away, her stubborn pride completely kicked into overdrive. She stayed planted right where she was, glaring up at him from his chest.
"I did not fall into your arms!" Yueqing snapped out loud, her voice loud and defensive. "The carriage hit a giant hole! Any normal person would lose their balance! You just happened to be standing there like a giant, inconvenient wall!"
[Yeah! Exactly!] her inner voice yelled straight into his mind, trying to sound brave despite her heart hammering against her ribs. [It was physics! Pure science! He thinks he’s so clever with his little sarcastic remarks!]
Wenzhe’s lips twitched upward into a full, amused smirk. He didn’t let go of her waist even an inch. Instead, he leaned down just a bit closer, his dark eyes sparkling with that rare, dangerous playfulness.
"Is that so?" Wenzhe murmured, his deep voice vibrating right through her palms where they rested on his chest. "A wall? Yet I recall you yelling across the whole mountain road, threatening to drag me off my horse just to get me in here with you."
"That was because you were being an idiot in the rain!" Yueqing huffed, her hands pushing against his chest to try and gain some ground.
"Or perhaps..." Wenzhe whispered, his thumb slowly tracing a warm line along her hip, "you simply couldn’t bear to see me wet and cold. You do seem very concerned with my health, Wife."
[THAT STUBBORN, ARROGANT, SMUG BLOCK OF WOOD!] Yueqing’s brain completely exploded with angry, blushing rage.
That was it. Her temper snapped. She was the Grand Chancellor’s daughter, and she was NOT going to let this man tease her into submission in her own carriage!
"Oh, you think you’re so smart?!" Yueqing barked.
Instead of backing off, she grabbed him firmly by his broad shoulders. With a fierce burst of energy, she pushed him back hard against the carriage wall, swinging her legs over and shifting herself until she was sitting straight, square, and proper right on his lap, completely trapping him beneath her.
Wenzhe’s eyes widened slightly in genuine surprise at her bold, aggressive move. His hands instinctively moved to keep her balanced, his broad palms grabbing onto her backside to hold her securely in place against his thighs.
The sensation of his large, warm hands firmly gripping her through her silk dress sent a sudden shockwave straight down Yueqing’s spine. Her inner mind went completely blank for half a second.
[WAIT A MINUTE—]
Before her brain could overthink it, Yueqing leaned down, grabbed Wenzhe’s sharp jaw with one hand, and slammed her lips straight onto his in a fierce, aggressive kiss.
Silence exploded inside the carriage.
Wenzhe went dead rigid for a fraction of a second, his dark eyes wide against her face. Her lips were hot, sweet, and soft, pressing into his with all the fierce, stubborn passion she had been holding back all day.
DING!
[System Announcement: +2 Villain Points!]
[TAKE THAT, YOU SMUG GIANT!] Yueqing’s inner voice screamed in wild, triumphant victory, ringing like a giant cathedral bell straight inside Wenzhe’s completely stunned mind. [SEE WHO TEASES WHO NOW!]
Wenzhe let out a low, heavy growl deep in his throat. His shock vanished in an instant. His hands tightened their grip on her, pulling her body completely flush against his chest as he began to aggressively kiss her back, taking total control of the carriage.
The moment Yueqing tried to score her quick, petty victory and pull her face back, she realized she had made a massive tactical error.
She had poked the sleeping dragon, and now the dragon was awake.
Before she could retreat even an inch, Wenzhe’s grip tightened like iron bands around her waist and hips, locking her firmly onto his lap. His large hand slid up to cup the back of her head, his long fingers tangling into her hair and keeping her lips pressed firmly against his.
[WAIT! HOLD ON! TIMEOUT!] Yueqing’s inner mind shrieked in total panic, ringing wildly straight into Wenzhe’s head. [I WAS SUPPOSED TO SHOCK HIM AND WIN THE ARGUMENT! WHY IS HE NOT SHOCKED?! NINE!!]
Wenzhe didn’t give her a single second to escape.
He deepened the kiss with a fierce, hungry intensity, his lips moving aggressively against hers. The cool scent of rain and damp wood clinging to his skin mixed with the hot, overwhelming heat radiating off his chest. He pulled her body so impossibly close that not a single drop of air remained between them.
Yueqing’s hands, which had been trying to push against his shoulders, completely lost their strength. Her fingers clutched at his thin, damp shirt, her toes curling inside her silk shoes as her knees went entirely weak.
DING!
[System Announcement: +5 Villain Points!]
[MMP! Why is he so good at this?!] her inner voice whined, melting from sharp panic into a dazed, trembling blur inside his mind. [He’s a General! He’s supposed to be good at sword fighting, not—oh god... my brain is turning into mush...]
Hearing her chaotic, helpless thoughts surrender so completely to his touch, Wenzhe let out another low, dark hum against her mouth. The sound vibrated right through her chest, making her heart hammer like a trapped bird.
Slowly, lingeringly, Wenzhe parted his lips from hers, resting his forehead against her wet temple while his heavy breath fanned across her flushed skin. His hands remained firmly planted on her hips, keeping her safely anchored on his lap as the carriage rocked gently through the falling rain.
He looked up at her with dark, smoldering eyes, a small, triumphant smirk gracing his lips.
"Going somewhere, Wife?" Wenzhe whispered, his raspy voice dripping with playful mockery. "You started this fight. You don’t get to run away so quickly."
Yueqing sat frozen on his lap, her face burning hotter than a furnace, her lips slightly swollen and her mind completely short-circuited.
[I hate him,] her inner voice whimpered weakly, though her heart was pounding so hard Wenzhe could feel it vibrating straight through his chest. [I hate him so, so much...]
Wenzhe’s dark eyes narrowed slightly as he felt her trembling beneath his touch, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps. His broad hands, still firmly anchored at her hips, began to shift.
Slowly, deliberately, his large palms glided upward along the curves of her waist. Through the fine silk of her robes, his touch burned like hot coals, tracing the delicate arch of her ribs before sliding down to rest heavily on the warm flare of her hips once more.
Yueqing gasped out loud, a sharp shiver running straight down her spine as his long fingers pressed firmly into her skin.
[AH! WAIT A SECOND!] Yueqing’s inner voice screamed in absolute, high-octane panic, the alarm bells ringing at max volume straight into Wenzhe’s head. [WHERE ARE THOSE HANDS GOING?! THIS IS A MOVING CARRIAGE! WE ARE ON A DIRT ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAINSTORM! NINE! SYSTEM! EMERGENCY BRAKES!]
Wenzhe’s lips twitched upward against her collarbone. Hearing her inner mind go into full meltdown only fueled his quiet amusement.
His right hand slid further down, his broad palm cupping her backside with an uncompromising, possessive grip, pulling her tight against his lap. At the same time, his other hand rose slowly up her back, his fingers tangling into her hair and tilting her head backward.
His warm, heavy mouth trailed down from her temple, pressing hot, lingering kisses along her jawline, down the sensitive column of her neck, and landing right at the notch of her collarbone.
"Wenzhe—!" Yueqing managed to squeak out, her voice entirely devoid of its usual fierce sharp edge. Her fingers clutched frantically at his damp undershirt, her knuckles turning white as she tried and miserably failed to push him away.
[MMP! He’s playing dirty!] her brain whimpered, her thoughts completely short-circuiting as his thumb lightly caressed the small of her back. [My body isn’t listening to me! Why is his hand so big?! Why is he so warm?! I am supposed to be the villain here, so why am I getting completely overwhelmed?!]
DING!
[System Announcement: +5 Villain Points!]
Wenzhe paused his path down her neck, his dark eyes rising to meet her completely flushed, wide-eyed gaze. His thumb lightly traced her bottom lip, which was still warm and slightly swollen from their kiss.
"You sound very bold when you talk, Wife," Wenzhe whispered, his raspy voice sending another wave of goosebumps across her skin. "Should I stop?"
Yueqing bit her lip, her heart hammering wildly against her chest. She wanted to yell yes, but the sheer heat radiating between them had locked her throat tight.
[If I say stop now, he wins!] her stubborn inner voice rallied weakly, though her face was practically on fire. [But if I say don’t stop... oh god, what is he going to do next?!]